In the Inner Eyes
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: Toothless finally sees what he never meant to do.


_Tonight I'm so alone This _

_sorrow takes a hold Don't leave me here so cold Never want to be so _

_cold Your touch used to be so kind Your touch used to give me _

_life I've waited all this time, I've wasted so much time_

Falling in the Black - Skillet

**I.**

A grunt, a nose wrinkle, and two claws placed over my snout.

There was The Terrible Darkness that came for me, just like it had years before. The sensation that I was losing control. My bearing on this world slipping away before my feet ever fully found purchase, or my wings air.

The nightmares had only started at, what else, night. I lose sight of Ground Bird, my mind rolling with the roiling heat of my secretion juice, and than I find that my sight blurs like stormclouds bursting forth like Hell's floodgate.

Do you know what it is like to be seized in the unconscious?

My body is not my own, I cannot find anything or anyone that makes sense; especially Ground Bird. In my inner eyes, I see an unfocused shape coming towards me. My ears are shot. There is a loud yell, "HIMBUMP!" but never did human names make sense to me. I believe my name is Toughleast to him.

Well, Toughleast is no more.

I will tell you that I do not remember what happened.

In a gasp of breath, I sit up and shake my head. Ground Bird hasn't changed much since he was literally grounded in our first fight. I notice him shivering and cover him with a sheep's coverlet. My claws rake back his bangs. I am sure he will spend time with Arsetwit tomorrow, but for now I am with him.

A ruffling of fabric and Vulga enters our room. I look up at her expectantly.

She smiles and performs tender footwork past me, instictive not to frighten me off. Her green eyes move with mine like she understands me. I watch her with a water circle in hand as she kneels and, taking a thick cloth, slicks my Ground Bird's hair back. Seeing him laying there, my heart stutters. My lids fold together and my lips furl back over my sheathed teeth in a yelp. In an instant Mother Bird is over me, taking my lower jaw in her hands. She lifts her left and tries to send me out of my mind; I rebuke with a loud protest.

"Toughleast," she says quickly.

My mind blurs. Instantly, nightmares are returning. This time, though, there is something that changes. As my outer eyes close, my inward gaze rips open. I see everything that happens, exactly as it happens. Hibbub is reasoning with a dragon who is getting ready to attack. Someone yells and in my Inner eyes it is Staw-ick who leaps out and catches Ground Bird. Wait, I was the one... I did it. I killed Hibbub's father. Immediately, my mind races out and surfaces.

Someone is holding me.

I look up mournfully, my guilt is consuming my heart. Hibbub has me in his arms. He looks me softly in the Outer Eyes and leans his cheek into my face. Breaking away, I confont him. Mother Bird is there and I confront her too with my knowledge. I am inconsolable, no. Ground Bird is not _allowed _to mother me. I look down and pant angrily. That is my job. Suddenly, I can't stand my new friend and ally Vulga. But she is the best thing for him. Oh no. What in Dragon's Name have I done? I shake my head and started to flee, recalling.

...

"Ma, what did you do?"

Valka is solemn as she replies. "I made him remember," she mutters.

"Why?" Hiccup persists. "Making him relive that horror? We just won!"

"You're too young to understand," she meets her son's eyes. "Toothless is struggling to remember things. His rise to Alpha has further tempered what was once his struggle to overcome his forced subordination." Her voice was gentle. "Hiccup, it won't do him good to repress these memories. His health depends on how much he can remember." she smiled. "We have scores of dragons awaiting orders from their Alpha; Toothless needs to have his eyes opened to what has happened."

Hiccup's shoulders fell as he listened.

...

Her words were clear... well, clear enough for a Ground Bird.

"Toothless needs to have his eyes opened to what has happened, not what he did. I believe in being forthright, Hiccup, and that we should open our eyes-,"

'And ears.'

Someone said it, but it wasn't Hiccup.

"Aye, and ear-,"

She stopped abruptly, they both turned to me.

My mouth didn't move but my mind could finally speak the words that had all but evaded me before, my heart could even more clearly feel what I had in my mothering and hatchling instincts only been able to convey, my soul was finally free to open up to my Ground Bird.

I met Hiccup's eyes.

"Toothless?" he asked, mesmerized.

'I'm sorry, Hiccup.' My mind whispered. 'You have always been my scrawny little Ground Bird.' The rumble of my throat was choked with emotion, I felt my eyes grow. I could speak! 'But I have always loved you, please know... I, I don't blame you for anything anyone has done.' Hiccup just stood there, all he could do was stare at me with his hazel-green eyes locked with mine, his mouth hanging open. I continued. 'I'm sorry for Father Bird. I didn't know.'

"Toothless..." His voice was dry. "You can talk?"

"Oh!" Vulga leaned down and examined the space between my legs. "So I guess that solves the mystery." I glanced at her but when I looked back my Ground Bird had come to hug me again. Happily, I pressed my head to him.

"I love you too, bud."

I didn't look at him. 'Can you forgive me?'

"Yes."

My telepathy shorted out but my Inner Eyes stayed wide open.

I yelped at his mother.

"Valka." She said smugly and waved her hand in front of me eyes. I held my own and her dancing fingers had no affect. When I looked up at Hiccup he was smiling with such happiness. I straightened myself up to reach his level.

"I guess if this mind-talking holds out, we'll have a lot more to discuss, huh?"

...

Toothless looked at me meaningfully and nosed my hand up to rest on his snout. I drew in a breath and let it fall out quickly. Assurance found my inner being as at last I realized that nothing could shut my father's eyes for a second time.

The End.


End file.
